Card record and index.



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No. 678,705. Patented July I6, I90". F. B. WELSH & R. H. BREEDING.

CARD RECORD AND INDEX.

A lication med Apr. 5. 1901 (No Model.)

No. 678,705. Patented July I6, 091]". F. R. WELSH & B. H. BREEDING. CARD RECORD AND INDEX.

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FRANK R. WVELSH AND ROBERT H. BREEDING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

CARD aeoo an AND INDEX.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 678,705, dated July 16, 1901.

Application filed April 5 1901.

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK R. WVELSH and ROBERT H. BREEDING, citizens of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia an d State of Pennsylvania, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Card Records and Indexes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a card record or index designed especially for use in banks or mercantile establishments in place of the ordinary account-books, records, indexes, or ledgers, and in such connection it relates to the construction and arrangement of such a card record and index.

The principal objects of our invention are, first, to provide a card index, ledger, or record of simple construction in which the individual cards are readily accessible for the purposes required without complete removal from the box or case wherein the cards are arranged; second, to provide in such a card index, ledger, or record an efficient means of guidingeach card in the case or box, so as to permit of the ready partial Withdrawal and the ready return of the card without disturbing the other cards or unlocking the cards from the case or box, and, third, to provide means whereby when a card is partly withdrawn from the box or case it may be folded down upon the undisturbed cards to permit the keeper of the index, record, or ledger to write the necessary matter upon the partlywithdrawn card, and thereafter the card may be replaced without disturbing the other cards or the box or case.

The nature and scope of our invention will be more fully understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a card index and ledger embodying main features of our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, taken on the line 00 so of Fig. 1, with one of the cards partly withdrawn from the case and another card withdrawn and folded back upon other cards. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the index and Serial No. 54,429. (No model.)

ledger, showing one of the spacing or index cards broken away to disclose a ledger-card; and Fig. 4 is a rear elevational View of one of the ledger-cards wholly separated from the case or box.

Referring to the drawings, a represents an oblong drawer, box, or case wherein the cards I) are to be retained. Adjacent to the side Walls a of the box and at or near the top of the front and back wall of said box are arranged two rods a a each traversing the box longitudinally and suitably united at either end to the front and back walls of said box. By preference each of these rods a a is readily removable from the box, being arranged so that the rear end of the rod screws into the rear wall of the box, and the front end extends through the front wall of said box and isprovided with a screw-cap d adapted to lock'or screw the rod in the box or case. i

Within the box or case a are arranged a series of ledger-cards, each comprising two members-a body I? and a base b--united together by a flexible strip 17 preferably of muslin. This strip 12 is pasted or otherwise secured to the front face of each card b, so that the card may be readily bent backward, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Each card Z) has adjacent to either of its side edges a vertically-arranged opening or recess b through or along each of which openings or recesses a rod a passes to lock the cards I) in the box or case and yet permit of their withdrawal upward in the box or case 0t, as illustrated in ings or recesses 19 extend through both the body b and the base I) and form guides, which permit the card to be drawn upward away from the bottom of the box or case until the base I) of the card projects above the top of When so elevated, the body the box or case.

of the card may be bent at right angles to the base 19, so that it rests flat upon the tops of other cards in the case when the front of the card is to be written upon. By using two coacting openings or recesses b and rods a the card 6 does not twist in either withdrawal or replacement and the cards may be shifted toward the front or back of the case or box without twisting in the box or case.

By arranging the openings or recesses b at or near the side edges of the cards I), as shown, the surface of each card to be written upon is practically the whole surface of said card and is not broken or interrupted, as would be the case if one or more of the recesses 19 were disposed centrally in the card.

Each card I) is preferably provided with an upwardly-projecting top b upon which ap-' pears a letter, figure, or other indicating-symbol, and in use the cards of one group of let-' ters or figures are separated by plain spacing or indexing cards at, also having a tab 01, upon which the appropriate symbol or letter is placed to indicate the group of cards I) following or preceding the plain card d. These plain cards (1 are preferably fixed with re- \spect to vertical movement in the box or case a, but can be shifted back and forth on the rods (t which pass through the perforations d at or near the upper corners of the cards d.

When the cards I) are used for ledger purposes, their faces are appropriately printed and ruled in the manner of a ledger-page. If the cards I) are used for other purposes, the faces may be either blank or ruled and printed, as desired. The rods a while preferably removable from the case or drawer a,

can be fixed to the side walls of the case or drawer, so that each has a free end, over which the cards may be drawn to take the cards entirely out of the box or case a.

The cards b are substantially rectangular or square in outline, with a straight lower edge or base, which, when the cards are within the box or case, rests upon and is supported by the closed bottom of said box or case. The rods a also assist in the support of the cards b in proper vertical position in the box or case by engaging the sides.

Having thus described the nature and objeots of our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a card record and index, a box or case having a closed bottom and an open top, rods arranged longitudinally in the box at or near its. top and adjacent to the sides thereof and a card of substantially square or rectangular shape having a straight lower edge adapted when the card is in the box to rest upon and be supported by the closed bottom of the box, said card provided adjacent to each of its sides with a vertically-arranged rectangular slot traversed by a rod, said rods resting against the side edges of the slots to assist in the support of the card in vertical position in the box and to guide the card in its Withdrawal through the top of said box.

2. In a card record and index, a box or case having a closed bottom and an open top, rods arranged longitudinally in the box at or near its top and adjacent to the sides thereof, and a card of substantially square or rectangular outline having a lower straight edge or base adapted to rest upon and be supported by the closed bottom of the box when the card is in said box, said card comprising a body and a base portion flexibly united together and provided at or near its sides with a vertically-arranged rectangular slot traversed by a rod and extending into both body and base portion of the card, said rods resting against the side edges of the slot to assist in the support of the card in vertical position within the box and to guide said card in its withdrawal through the top of said box.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our signatures in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK R. WELSH. ROBERT H. BREEDING.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

